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  • Thinking about surgery

    Hi everyone

    I am new to this forum and very glad that I have found this. I am 30 years old and I wasn’t diagnosed with scoliosis until I was 22 during a health check up despite having gone to my GP when I was 15 because one of shoulder blades stuck out more than the other. Anyway at 22 I was told that there was nothing I could do with the situation and I should carry on exercising such as swimming.
    In the UK I decided to find out more information about scoliosis and found a centre that practiced the Schroth method. I attended for two weeks and they taught me a variety of exercises to do at home. I was told that it would decrease my rotation and stop progression of the curve. My first question is, has anyone used the Schroth method on here? What is your opinion on the method?
    I thought it was the answer to my prayers until I moved to Argentina where I currently live. During a routine x ray I was told to go and see a spine specialist. I was shocked to find out that my curve was 70 degrees thoracic and 60 degrees lumbar and was told that I needed surgery straight away. I told them that I was practicing the Schroth method but was told me that there was no scientific proof that it prevents progression of the curve especially at the stage that my curve is at. Does anybody have any opinion on this?
    I completely freaked out and after a lot of research I sent my MRI scans and x rays to Dr Tucker in the UK (apparently he is amazing). He told me that he would recommend only fusing the thoracic curve to maintain more flexibility (not sure which ones exactly). Has anyone had that done? Do you feel that you maintained flexibility?
    I just don’t know what to do, I am not in a lot of pain, my muscles are very tight on the left side by my shoulder blade but with massages, pilates and using hanging bars I relatively pain free. We are moving back to the UK next year to find out more information about the surgery and see what we are going to do next.
    On one hand I could wait and see what happens, carry on with exercises and hope that the curve does not progress. I live an active life and haven’t found scoliosis stops me from doing anything however I am really scared that it will continue to progress whatever I do and I will feel the effects of scoliosis more in the future. I noticed that a lot of people are having surgery even in their 60’s, what is your opinion on this?
    I also want to have children in the next couple of years and if I was to have the surgery surely it would be better to have it before having kids or does it not matter?
    Sorry for such a long post, once I got started just couldn’t stop!

    I would really appreciate people’s comments and advice.

    Thank you in advance

    Saskia

  • #2
    Originally posted by muzzy80 View Post
    I was shocked to find out that my curve was 70 degrees thoracic and 60 degrees lumbar and was told that I needed surgery straight away.
    Saskia,

    I can understand your shock at finding out how bad your curve was. We have all been there, though some of us realize it more gradually. I am just a lay person, not a doctor, but I have been told by many doctors over the years that exercise does not prevent progression of scoliosis, although it can reduce pain. The main reason for surgery is to halt the progression of the curve so that you don't end up in major pain/disability later on and also to prevent possible heart/lung complications associated with large thoracic curves.

    I think it would be interesting to know whether your curve is definitely progressing. There are some people who have large curves like yours that for whatever reason have stopped progressing. Do you have xrays showing progression? If not, you may want to monitor the curve for a year or two to see for sure that it is progressing before opting for surgery.

    As for kids, I think it can go either way. I chose to have my kids before surgery, thinking pregnancies might mess up what the surgery fixed. But I have since found out that that is not typically the case. In many ways it would be easier to have the surgery before kids so that you don't have to worry about young children when you are recovering. Recovery from this surgery can take many months up to a couple of years, depending on the extent of the surgery and whether there are any complications.

    You might want to check out David Wolpert's book, Scoliosis Surgery. It's available on the "store" portion of this website. Good luck!

    Evelyn
    age 48
    80* thoracolumbar; 40* thoracic
    Reduced to ~16* thoracolumbar; ~0* thoracic
    Surgery 3/14/12 with Dr. Lenke in St. Louis, T4 to S1 with pelvic fixation
    Broken rods 12/1/19; scheduled for revision fusion L1-L3-4 with Dr. Lenke 2/4/2020
    Not "confused" anymore, but don't know how to change my username.

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    • #3
      Hi Evelyn

      Thank you so much for your reply. It really is such a difficult decision and one that will affect the rest of my life.
      I think I will keep getting the x rays checked and see the rate the curve is moving. I might one of the lucky ones and it has stopped progressing!
      I will also check out that book for sure. I think we need all the information we can get!

      Thank you

      Saskia

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by muzzy80 View Post
        Hi Evelyn

        Thank you so much for your reply. It really is such a difficult decision and one that will affect the rest of my life.
        I think I will keep getting the x rays checked and see the rate the curve is moving. I might one of the lucky ones and it has stopped progressing!
        I will also check out that book for sure. I think we need all the information we can get!

        Thank you

        Saskia

        Actually, just in this little forum group I have noted there are at least 3 people with surgical range curves who have demonstrated non-progression, in some cases for decades. So I am not sure it is all that exquisitely rare. The problem comes in if it is painful. But as Linda (moderator) has stated, some people can have huge curves and no pain.

        If there is a more variable condition than scoliosis, I don't know what it is.

        Good luck.
        Sharon, mother of identical twin girls with scoliosis

        No island of sanity.

        Question: What do you call alternative medicine that works?
        Answer: Medicine


        "We are all African."

        Comment


        • #5
          The problem comes in if it is painful. But as Linda (moderator) has stated, some people can have huge curves and no pain.

          I am in relatively in no pain despite having a large curve which makes it in my opinion the decision to have surgery even more difficult. My main reason for saying that is because my biggest concern is that by having surgery I may actually end up having more pain than I had previously as well as lack of flexibility, degeneration of the non fused vertebrae, lack of flexibility.

          Comment


          • #6
            David Wolpert's book

            HI Muzzy,

            I am new to this forum, but I am trying to get all the information I can re: my daugther
            (13) that has been diagnosed with scoliosis, and needs surgery.
            I feel David Wolpert's book, Scoliosis Surgery, was a huge help.
            It is very informative and I think it will help answer questions for you.

            Plus, this site is very good to get informaiton, everyone is very helpful.

            Best of luck to you.

            Comment


            • #7
              Thank you for your kind words and good luck with your daughter's surgery.

              I will be getting that book ASAP

              Thanks

              Comment

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